Bands we miss – Peach (Union)

This one is more a matter of a band who’s potential could have been really interesting more than what actually was. Peach (known as Peach Union in North America due to the frustrating Beat/English Beat, Bush/BushX, Yazoo/Yaz proprietory rule) was a UK electropop trio (Lisa Lamb, Paul Statham, and former member of Bomb the Bass and S’Express, Pascal Gabriel that produced one album, Audiopeach in 1997 on Mute Records (so often the way I discovered electronic music before the internet became so ubiquidous). It as a hard time to release this style of throwback synth pop what with the (re)rise of boy bands and their like during this time. It as one of the darkest periods for electronic music of any kind to be accepted by the masses. That said the lead-off single “On My Own”, a note-perfect confection was a hit, even in the US where it received some radio play before fading into the rafters. The album was more than this great song though. “Made in Vain”, the dance track “Sorrow Town”, and the lovely, languid ballad, “Hush” were touchpoints on this underrated album.

Sadly the band broke up within a year of the album’s release and listening to it now makes me yearn for what could have been. They could have grown into a strong leader of the electronic scene once they had the chance to shake of some of the cliches that popped up a few times too often on the record and subsequent releases could have added much to the movement. A great loss that they didn’t last.

4 Responses to “Bands we miss – Peach (Union)”

I have been searching in vain to find a digital version of this album, no iTunes, no…”alternative means” of finding it. All I have is my old cassette. If anyone knows where I might be able to get MP3s, t’would appreciate it…

Statham and Gabriel had worked together previously on Peter Murphy’s “Cascade.”. You can hear some of the proto-peach there. Statham went on to write for Dido and Kylie, continuing the pop-diva thing he had going too.